08.04.2024

New Research Grant in Sport Economics

The German Federal Institute of Sports Science (BISp) recently awarded a research grant for a new project, which synthesizes the current state of research and expert knowledge on the role of integrity in sport.

Integrity in sport relates to various phenomena and is considered an inherent feature of sporting competitions. Principles of fair play and a level playing field make athletes engage in sporting competitions because they imply equal opportunities for all competitors to be successful. At the same time, integrity also reinforces the importance of sport in society and its potential to promote moral and social values.

However, integrity in sport is often challenged by illegal conduct, such as doping, match fixing, corruption, discrimination – amongst others, subject of analysis in a project recently awarded with a DFG research grant –, or various forms of interpersonal violence. This can negatively affect trust in the fairness of competitions, and the ideals and ultimate purpose of sport might vanish.

This research project develops an expert report on the role of integrity in sport, considering relevant integrity issues and assessing related prevention measures. In this regard, it merges the current state of research with expert knowledge from the organized sport in Germany and initiates cooperation and exchange between stakeholders.

The project is funded by the German Federal Institute of Sports Science (BISp) and will be conducted jointly by Dr. Felix Otto, Prof. Tim Pawlowski (both Institute of Sports Science), and Prof. Christian Deutscher (Bielefeld University). The project will start in May 2024.